Adventure, January 20, 1922 — page 43: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Tides of Hate Now with the ship beginning to bump gently and her head swinging every minute to the strain on her cables, with the men standing by to haul over the starboard battery to their places, and Davies and his mates peering over the side watching every inch of water rise, like a bolt from a blue sky came the flash and report of a carronade to seaward, and the twang and snap of a taut rope aloft parting to the singing caress of a solid shot. As the loose end of the broken rope fell to the deck the Cadzz floated free and swung to her anchors. XVI “SHE floats, cappen; she floats!” we i roared Goliath, lashing the men at = the capstan with bitter remarks upon their strength. Davies peered into the darkness whence came that shot, amazed and startled. He had but a faint notion as to the best way out of the labyrinth of shoals; with the shore to the westward and the cruiser to the east, with shoals to the northward'and unknown waters south of him, the Cad73’ safety alone presented a problem to stagger a mariner. ‘leave away handsomely!” the skipper shouted. “Sheet home everything and let fall the courses! Carr, get men and haul over the guns, that we do not capsize.”’ “Shall I gi’ her a dose o’ iron?” yelled the gunner, squinting along a stern chaser to- ward where he guessed the cruiser was. His answer came in solid shape—the two linked balls of a vicious chain shot that took him between chin and shoulder and carried his head into the sweating gang at the cap- stan. And as the ghastly missile scat- tered red drops around, Kestral leaped on to the main hatch, swung a cutlas aloft and screamed in frenzy: “Up, bullies! Here’s yer ship. Take her, and gain yer pardon o’ the king. Lay on, ye jolly dogs, and leave the wench to me.”’ Like a surging tide a full one-fourth of the crew of the Cadiz separated from the rest and rolled toward the poop. If Kestral had planned the outbreak to happen at that precise. moment, it showed qualities of leadership in him of a high order; for Davies was caught aback, and the invisible cruiser ‘sent another iron messenger athwart his decks before he could gather his wits. By that time Kestral and his mob were at the great stairway leading from maindeck to AI high poop, and Nell Clark, standing beside the skylight dome, knew this was the ruf- fian’s way of repaying that knife-slash she had given him. “Carr, take the forecastle. Call your men by name. Cut the cables and trim down yer head-sheets,” snapped Davies, all his wits at work on the crisis while his arms were heavily employed beating back the storming mob behind Kestral. “Goliath! Aft to me here with what men ye know, and haul out the crossjack wi’ speed! Nell! To the wheel! Hold her head at southeast till I teach this rabble something.”’ A pistol-shot blazed out almost in his face, and a bullet clipped the lobe of his ear. While yet the smoke hung at his chin, his own cutlas sang in an overhead sweep and cleft the assailant from crown to chine. Then Kestral confronted.him, blunderbuss pistol aimed, cutlas at the charge, and steel bit on steel. Out of the dark night another cannon- shot belched, and the ball whistled across the deck, reaping a grim lane from fore- castle to poop diagonally, entering at the foremost gunport to starboard, and smash- ing away the ornately carved dolphin that supported the larboard poop ladder. The crash of splintering wood halted the mutineers for a breath, and in that moment a giant figure plunged through them with a crowd of huzzaing loyal seamen at his heels. “All togerrer, boys!’ bellowed Goliath. He seized two rascals by the necks, one in each huge hand, cracked their heads to- gether as he would crack two coconuts, and hurled them aside, reaching out for more. Blood flew in a shower under a fierce on- slaught of steel, and Kestral backed down a step to stiffen his men, who gave way like the curs they were. None but curs, whether their ship was pirate or not, would have chosen such a moment to attack their officers. That was the chance Davies had watched for. Reaching down a long, powerful arm, he gripped Kestral by the neckerchief and ~hoisted him bodily up to his own level. Then he crushed him in a hug that made bones crack and lungs pant and bade his quarter- master bind him with ropes. ‘“‘Ain’t we goin’ to bark back at th’ bull- dog?” yelled Carr from the forecastle. The Cadiz was away from the ground, leaning to the freshening breeze and making Gomichbooks (C@